Hu Jinquan left Shaw Brothers in Hong Kong in 1969 and filmed "Chivalrous Girl" on location in Taiwan. This film has many twists and turns, and finally won the technology award at the Cannes Film Festival, which is known as one of Hu Jinquan's business cards.
There are a lot of things that are refreshing about "The Heroine". The deserted house created by the empty shots in the first five minutes, the ambush in the dark night, the duel in the bamboo forest, the pursuit in the woods, the composition, light and shadow, and the movement of the camera are all exploratory. The oriental classical pictures and artistic conceptions presented by the director, such as green hills and white clouds, reed barren houses, beautiful women playing the piano, and eminent monks sayings, some are really wonderful, and some are confusing. I am amazed by the Peking Opera gongs and drums, folk music, Taroko's extraordinary scenery, and the charm of mountains and forests.
However, it is mainly technically creative, so as to bring an impact on the viewing experience, but overall it makes me feel dull and disappointed. First of all, the rhythm is slow, and many scenes are deliberately made so long. The whole is a small story, but it took three hours to tell. The two leading female heroes Xu Feng and scholar Shi Jun are both stars, but I am quite disappointed. Xu Feng's performance was rigid, and he was always holding it, but he was neither like a lady, nor tender, and always looked fierce. It is inexplicable that such a character can have a one-night stand with a scholar. Shi Jun's eyes are too big, and the whites of his eyes are too much without force, and they are not good-looking anymore. If he exerts force, his eyeballs will fall off, and his appearance is too ugly. His performance has always been overdone, and his laughter after a successful ambush is simply neurotic and creepy. How can there be a bit of gentleness, elegance and gentle temperament? The fighting design is even more unbearable, with stiff movements and contrived expressions, which are very rough and childish.
Some fans talked about the oriental culture inside, which may be quite amazing for a foreigner who is not familiar with China, but the Confucian loyalty and filial piety and Buddhist Buddhism are only superficial, and the form is greater than the content. On the whole, this film is only technically interesting, and the story, thoughts, and realm are not brilliant. Some scenes are beautiful, but the whole is superficial. The worst thing is that the director and the audience take this superficiality as the essence of Chinese cultural and artistic spirit.
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